About EMC

About The Environmental Mediation Center (EMC)

The Environmental Mediation Center (EMC) is a non-profit organization that designs and administers environmental and agricultural dispute resolution programs, mediates cases, and facilitates environmental and agricultural public policy projects.

Mediation for the Agricultural Community

The EMC administers the United States Department of Agriculture’s certified mediation programs for California, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Hawaii. Through the program, free mediation services are available to farmers and the agricultural community in each state. Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process where an impartial person (mediator) helps parties resolve their differences and negotiate agreements.

Mediation for Governmental and Regulatory Bodies

The EMC also designs and administers environmental dispute resolution programs utilizing mediation screening for governmental and regulatory permitting bodies.

Facilitation for Public Policy

The EMC specializes in working with diverse stakeholders on challenging policy issues involving agriculture and the environment. Our recent facilitation work includes land use regulations and policies, inter-governmental regulatory disagreements, agro-forestry, pesticide drift, nutrient runoff from farming operations, and producer/processor issues.

History

The EMC was formerly known as the New England Environmental Policy Center (NEEPC). NEEPC’s projects included Integrating Mediation Into Land Use Decision Making (conducted with the Consensus Building Institute and funded by the Windham Foundation, JAMS Foundation, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Orton Foundation), a study of Long Distance Transportation of Dioxins (funded by the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trusts and the John Merck Fund) and Establishing Forest Certification Standards (funded by the Ford Foundation, SURDNA Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation and others).

 

Learn more about the EMC approach: Prepare, Gather, Communicate, Vision, and Focus.